Image transmission, typically by facsimile transmission, has been well established and documented. In accordance with conventional technology, a facsimile apparatus, whether a stand-alone or dedicated unit or a personal computer configured with the capability of sending and receiving facsimile messages, is coupled to the telephone line. The entry of the telephone number associated with the recipient's equipment, and the dialing thereof to initiate communication therewith, commences the exchange of so-called “handshake” data permitting the subsequent transfer of an electronic image of the desired information from the sender to the recipient's apparatus. Because both the sender and the recipient's apparatus are typically interfaced to public telephone systems, which are themselves capable of interconnection, worldwide facsimile transmission over such telephone systems is routine.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,206,743 there is disclosed methodology by which identification and routing data may be transmitted from the sender to the recipient as part of the handshake protocol to permit internal routing of the facsimile data. Such routing may be appropriate, for example, when the apparatus associated with the recipient's telephone number is a local area network. Inclusion of such routing information permits the received facsimile to be subsequently transmitted, over the LAN, after initial reception to the intended recipient's location.
Alternative methods also exist for the routing of facsimile data through a recipient network. For example, DID (Direct Inward Dialing) telephone systems allow a telephone number, associated with a group or block of numbers assigned to a particular location or entity, to be further associated with particular individual or location within the entity. An inward-bound facsimile call, directed by the recipient's otherwise conventional DID telephone number, allows the facsimile to be directly received by a facsimile unit associated with that number.
Alternatively, a series of DTMF (Dual-Tone Multiple Frequency) signals may be entered by the sender after a primary conventional telephone number is dialed and a connection established with apparatus at the receiving number. The entry of such tones constitute a routing code recognized by equipment at the answering telephone number's location which directs the call (or facsimile transmission) to the recipient or apparatus associated with the routing code.
All the foregoing methods, however, require the establishment of a direct primary telephone link between the sender and recipient. When the sender and recipients are geographically separated the costs of establishing such a link over public commercial telephone lines and systems may be great.
In addition, such conventional technology requires that the facsimile data format be preserved throughout the transmission. A facsimile unit must perform the transmission and a compatible facsimile unit must ultimately receive the transmitted data.
It is accordingly the purpose of the present invention to provide a methodology by which image format messages, including facsimile messages may be transmitted between a sender and a recipient in a manner which facilitates and economizes the use of such communication media over extended distances.
Yet a further purpose of the present invention is to provide an image and facsimile transmission methodology which is capable of utilizing the internet and other diverse communications media.
Still a further purpose of the present invention is to provide an image and facsimile transmission methodology which does not require a recipient facsimile unit to be compatible with that of the sending party.
Another purpose of the present invention is to provide an image and facsimile transmission methodology which allows incorporation, of accounting, routing and other message tracking data and routines.